Cleopatra Makeup

Cleopatra has gone down in history as one of the most beautiful women that has ever lived. The queen of the Nile's ornate eye makeup made her a legend. As a master manipulator and temptress, Cleopatra's eyes were weapons of mass seduction. Upload your photo to try on Cleopatra makeup in our Virtual Makeup Studio .TRY ON MAKEUP BY UPLOADING A PHOTO TO TAAZ.

Step 1: Cleopatra Face Prep

Leave the face for last so that the fallout from the intense eye shadow does not ruin carefully applied foundation. For now, just apply a primer like Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer. We will come back to finish the face later.

Step 2: Cleopatra Eye Makeup

Prep the eyes by applying a primer all over the eyelid, up to the brow bone. Cleopatra's eyebrows were elegantly elongated. The long and thick brows made her bone structure more prominent.

Start by filling in your eyebrows. Using an eyebrow pencil is an easy alternative but if your liner is dull or you press too hard, you may end up with artificial-looking brows. Try a matte dark shadow, like M.A.C. Eyeshadow in Wedge, and use an angled brush to apply the color to the brow in a featherlike motion. Extend your brows about 1/4 of an inch at the ends. You can do this with a brow pencil or by using the M.A.C. Eyeshadow.

Step 3: Cleopatra Eyeliner

You will need some tape. Test it first on the inside of your wrist to make sure it's gentle on your skin. Place a strip of tape under your eye, leaving about 1/8 of an inch between your lash line and the tape. Extend this strip out to your temple to help ensue that your eyeliner is perfectly drawn and sharp.

Egyptians are known for mastering the kohl liner. Luckily for us, gel liner has made the application process much easier and has a similar finish. Grab a black gel liner and a precise eyeliner brush, we recommend Maybelline's Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner because its smudge free, will last all night, and comes with its own applicator for around $8.

Step 4: Cleopatra Eyeliner Cont.

Find connecting points between your eyebrow and the tape you placed under your eyes (see the dots in the image). Begin drawing your Cleopatra eyeliner with your eyeliner brush and apply a thick line of gel liner across the bottom eyelid, below the lash line and above the tape area. Extend your eyeliner to your temple and up to the points you had previously marked.

Now, proceed to line your top lid, starting at the inner corner and working your way to the outer corner. You want to build thickness as you approach the outer corner. Continue extending your liner out towards the temple, following a curved shape (like the one shown in the image). Fill in any gaps in that area and remove the pieces of tape very gently. You will need to retouch later, however this sets a guide for your eyes.

Step 5: Cleopatra Eye Shadow

For this look, we will only be using one blue eye shadow. You want a true blue, so shy away from anything that may look turquoise or that has a green tint. Do the test by applying some foundation to your wrist and then apply the eye shadow over it, this will give you a feel for what the true color will look like.

Starting at the lash line, apply your eye shadow and work your way to the crease and up to the brow bone. As a beauty rule, we know this is usually a no-no, but this looks calls for attention-grabbing eyes. Be sure to cover the entire eye area, which means everything inside the eyebrows and inside the liner. If blue shadow falls on your lower lid or cheeks, simply use a bush and lightly sweep it away.

Step 6: Cleopatra Lashes

Re-touch your upper eyeliner by sweeping one last coat of gel liner. Apply a coat of black mascara (our favourite is Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara in Blackest Black) to your top and bottom lashes. Follow by applying a set of full false lashes to create high volume. Press your lashes and the false ones together so that they look more natural.

Step 7: Cleopatra Face Makeup

Now that you are finished with the eyes, apply a foundation that is one shade warmer than your natural skin color. Keep in mind that Cleopatra's skin was known for its sun-kissed glow. To fake this, you may also use your regular foundation and apply a shimmer-free bronzer to deepen the color. Apply concealer, with a concealer brush, and try not to get too close to the eyeliner.

Use a warm-matte shade of blush to highlight the bone structure (try NARS Blush in Exhibit A), apply it to the hollow of the cheeks, contouring the cheek bones.

Step 8: Cleopatra Lips

Use a nude lip color, one with a warm-coral undertone. Skip the gloss and amplify the effect of your lips by dabbing a gold shimmery eye shadow to the center of your lips. This sets your lipstick, making it last longer and will give your lips a little extra oomph.